**Reader is a fifth year Slytherin (one year older than the trio)- but has the justice of a Hufflepuff, heart of a Gryffindor, wisdom of a Ravenclaw, but most of all- the intimidating, sly, clever, and quick-witted traits of a Slytherin.
Slytherin or not, it didn't matter. When the sorting hat screamed out "Slytherin!", you literally couldn't have cared less.
Everyone had a bit of each house in them, whether they liked it or not. Being a Slytherin obviously gave you an advantage.
Snape may not have liked all of your traits, but deep down he respected you for it. He was a Slytherin and was well aware that many of those who are a part of that house often forget that they are their own people and only live up to their "Slytherin expectations". He found you a bit annoying at times, but still held a sliver of admiration and only taunted you once in a great while.
But going back to what was mentioned before- your other traits. You had a knack for voicing your own opinions, even if the people of your own house didn't like it. Professor McGonagall loved you for it. She's always claimed that she's never favored a student, let alone a student not even from her own house.
She still smirked to herself everytime she heard you berating a student in the halls for their "raging, imbecile-like stupidity".
The trio was very unsure of you when they first met you. Not only were you a year older than them, you were a Slytherin...
Flashback to the year prior
So when the trio was walking down the hall one day, Ron and Harry were having a petty argument. The two boys began playfully shoving each other as Hermione was scolding the two (at the time) third years.
Hermione was a few steps behind her friends as they tugged back in forth in front of her.
"Harry! Ronald! Cut it out, you fools! I swear, if you-" She starts to say as their bodies turn the corner.
*Crash!*
And down goes Harry, the young witch thought to herself. She needn't seen the collision to know that it was Harry.
She had thought that the boy was tripped by his own foot, but that was until she rounded the corner to find another person standing there.
Your POV
I stroll down the hall, the very few others that were there look away from me as I stroll past them.
I reach the end of the hall and begin to turn, when I hear
"Harry! Ronald! Cut it out, you fools! I swear, if you-"
*Wham!*
A kid with glasses bumps into me, dropping both of his books as he stumbles.
He falls to the ground, landing on his knees. He hesitantly looks up at me after catching his breath. I look him up in down, seeing his lighting scar on his forehead and his red scarf.
Harry Potter.
He visibly gulps when he sees who he ran into. His red headed friend's eyes widen and a girl with bushy brown hair rounds the corner.
"You should be more careful with where you are going." I flatly state, narrowing my eyes ever so slightly at the three students. Only Potter keeps his eyes on me, I don't know if it was an effort to intimidate me or if he was too scared to look away.
I clench my jaw and straighten out my collar. With a sigh I crouch down and kneel next to the boy.
He freezes and the three of them watch my every move. I internally smirk. Usually I don't always get a thrill of scaring others, but for some reason I was genuinely getting a kick out of these young Gryffindors. They've definitely heard the stories about me.
I scoop up both of his books and stand up, towering over him. I reach a hand out and all he does is stare at it.
"My house may represent a snake, but I can assure you that I don't bite." I pause, smirking.
When he doesn't reach out for my hand, I roll my eyes with a sharp exhale.
"I'm not going to fucking hit you Potter, take my my hand- it's not gonna be here forever." I finally scoff.
The kid quickly puts his hand in mine and I hoist him up, making sure he's balanced. Before he can take his hand out of mine, I quickly pull him closer to me and I lean down into his ear.
"Looks are deceiving. Lies can be told. Don't believe everything you hear. For such a hearty Gryffindor, you'd think you wouldn't make such accusations and assumptions about someone you've never met. Not everyone is out to get you, Potter." I whisper in his ear, then take a step back.
I purse my lips together and hand him his books.
His face is a bit red, likely embarrassed with his previous behavior. He sheepishly nods.
"T-Thank you, Y/l/n." He quietly says.
The bushy brown hair cautiously looks back and forth between us, wondering what I had told him.
"Y/n." I correct.
"Y/n." He whispers back, a certain glint in his eyes.
I look at his two friends, nodding my head and then walk past them, leaving them standing there.
I look over my shoulder and I see Potter standing there, looking at me. His lips curl up ever so slightly and I wink, turning my head forwards again.
Now
"Miss, Y/l/n, why weren't you in class yesterday?" A low voice calls out from behind me as I sit in the dining hall, eating my breakfast.
I close the book I was reading and set down my fork that was in my left hand. I swear to Merlin, this man could fucking appear out of nowhere.
I turn around in my seat to find him towering over me with his arms crossed. A few students watch, assuming that I can't see them because my eyes were on my professor. I quickly flick my gaze towards them and they immediately look away, knowing that they had been caught.
I clear my throat and straighten up in my seat.
"Well, Professor... I was not in class because there was a... Conflict.. that I saw going on in the corridor when I was on my way to class.." I say, watching his face slightly change through my explanation.
I then look him directly in the eyes as I raise my brows, and then I tilt my head to the left of me.
He turns his head to the direction my tilted head gestures to, his black hair falling next to his face as he did so.
I stand up next to him and we look towards the Ravenclaw table.
A seventh year boy was eating food by his friends. Snape squints his eyes and sees the bruises on him and the two boys on either side of him. His looks back at me and raises an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation.
"A first year Hufflepuff was being cornered by them... And I felt the need to... Intervene." I say, stretching out my words.
I don't get to see my Professor's reaction as I look back towards the table. The boy looks up and sees me glaring at him, my nostrils flared. Snape follows my eyes and looks at the student again.
The boy keeps his gaze fixated on me, completely ignoring the brooding teacher next to me. He nudges his two friends and both of their eyes widen, looking so scared they might piss themselves. The three of them stumble out of the benches of the table and quickly walk out of the dining hall.. One even forgot his book but didn't bother to come back and grab it.
I watch the Professor as he slowly turns towards me again, unfolding his arms.
"I hope you can forgive me professor- for skipping your class." I state, a knowing glint in my eyes. It wasn't mockery or being a total smart-ass. Just a knowing glance that I had to deal with stuff.
He nods his head and for a moment, his lips ever so slightly curl up into a light smirk.
"I just hope that your.. interventions... Don't keep you from my class all of the time. Who else will help me guide some of your dunderheads of classmates?... If you ever need a few points taken away, you know where I'll be." He says, in a lowered voice.
I grin and nod my head, crossing my arms.
"Yes, Professor." I say, looking at him.
He nods his head once and turns around, his black cloak drifting behind him as he walks away.
I feel eyes on me and I look up to the teacher's table to see the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall looking at me. Dumbledore winks at me and McGonagall chuckles, shaking her head.
-----
I walk down the hall after breakfast, ready to get to my charms class when I hear a familiar whiny voice.
"... I mean, honestly. I can't believe you bumped into me. How dare your disgusting hands touch my robe, you filthy mudb-"
"Now, now, Draco. That's not a very kind word." I taunt, rounding the corner.
The boy with platinum blonde hair freezes, his back tensing up. I walk behind him and intentionally get too close to him for comfort. I look over his shoulder to see that he was harassing Hermione. She silently pleads with her eyes, yet also looks confused. I look back over to Draco who keeps his eyes on the ground.
"Go ahead, finish that sentence. I dare you." I quietly hiss into his ear.
"Just wait until my-". He starts but I cut him off
"-your father hears about this? Poor little Draco needs his daddy to fight all of his fights for him. Hm?" I say in a mocking tone.
I circle him as I clasp my hands together behind my back.
"I mean, I can't help but pity you, Draco. First, you waste your time, harassing some Gryffindor on her way to class. But you need that for your ego boost, don't you? Because deep down you're a scared little boy." A small crowd begins to gather, some watching with frightened gazes but also with some thrilled ones.
"Go ahead, Draco. Owl your daddy. Explain to him why you were late to class. Because you had to pick on another student. What happens then, Draco? When you're late to class? First, you'll fail your tests because you spend too much time taunting those who are younger than you. Then, you'll fail your classes. What will happen to little Malfoy when daddy Malfoy finds that out?"
He immediately tenses even more at my last sentence. Bingo. His weak spot. He tightly clenches his fists at his sides.
I stop circling him and lean down into his ear as a bead of sweat trickles down the back of his neck.
"That his son is an outcast that harasses others? Who knows, maybe he does it too. But what's the cost? Your ego gets in the way, you fail, look idiotic in front of your peers, and then what? Draco." I press on, now standing in front of him.
He has a fear stricken look in his eyes. Tears well up in his eyes- could be from fear, frustration, embarrassment, anything.
I once again lean down and whisper into his ear, so quietly, that nobody could possibly hear.
"To be honest, Draco. I'm not going to keep up this bad girl façade, I know that there is hope in you... However, I will not hesitate to humiliate you in front of the school again. You will not breathe a word of this to your father. If one of your stupid goons you call 'friends' tells him, there will be hell to pay. You stay the hell away from Granger, if you so much as look at her, you will wish you were never born." I pause letting the words sink in.
I pull away from him, no longer continuing to speak in a hushed tone.
"In fact, you call anyone, a mudblood, there will be serious. fucking. problems." I enunciate the last few words, keeping my gaze on him. Although I was speaking to him, the last words are also directed to the others.
I purse my lips together in a mocking way, looking into his eyes. His body trembles and he looks to the ground. I hold my hand up to his face and he flinches. I wipe a tear of his away with my thumb, then retract my hand.
"What the hell are you all looking at??" I suddenly call out, looking at the handful of people that were pretending not to watch.
They all scatter and disappear, leaving only Hermione, Draco, and I standing there.
"Leave." I murmur to Draco.
He immediately walks away, wiping the rest of his tears off of his face. I turn towards Hermione with a smile.
"You better get a move on. Don't wanna be late for the first class of the day." I softly say with a half smile.
She smiles and nods her head once, her eyes silently thanking me. Clutching her books tighter to herself, she walks off with a brighter glow to her.